Telangana Government led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao has opened a Pandora’s box under intense pressure to make changes in creating 17 new districts in Telangana. Over 30,000 objections have been received since the government issued its draft notification on the move last month.
People in some towns have taken to the streets, seeking district status for their respective regions. The opposition parties and non-political groups have intensified their protests and are even planning to approach the courts. As part of the reorganization of districts, the government has also proposed to create 45 new ‘mandals’. This has also triggered demands for more ‘mandals’ and it has also led to discontent in others. People are unhappy over either denial of district status to their towns, or their amalgamation with a particular district. Telangana, the youngest state of India with a population of 35 million, currently has 10 districts. The TRS government has initiated the process for creating 17 new districts which will start functioning from 11th October.